Lou Bustamante

Despite having grown up in the Bay Area, I never made it to the original Sweetwater, and arriving to the new incarnation of the music hall for brunch created more questions than expectations. Would it be filled with twirling deadheads, wealthy Marinites, or regular people? Would I be eating inside a huge, dark space? Would the cocktails come in plastic cups with juices from a soda gun?

See Also: Drink Like a Big Shot at Capo's
The Oaxacan Cross at Lolinda

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Lou Bustamante

The power of food to transport us with flavors and smells is what makes eating and drinking such a personal experience. It is what endeared me to the lively and cozy Copita Tequileria y Comida in Sausalito. Sitting at the bar takes me to the beaches of Jalisco, Mexico, where a yearly tradition with friends is all about sun, ceviche, tequila, and great conversations fueled by even more tequila. In other words, it takes me to my happy place.

Of the eight cocktails on the list, it was the mighty Prado ($9, blanco tequila, lime, maraschino, agave, egg white), Spanish for "meadow," that most impressed me. Complex and refreshing at the same time, it lavishes the drinker with a frothy texture and an almost minty flavor. If a last word (gin, lime, green chartreuse, maraschino) and a margarita had a baby, this would be it.

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Lou Bustamante

Blue agave growing in Jalisco, Mexico

With National Tequila Day hitting us smack dab in the Tuesday, you now have a thinly veiled excuse to go out and have some margaritas or tequila at brand new Copita, Tommy's Mexican, Mosto, or Tres for lunch and dinner. The rest of the week is boozy too, and we have a look at where to quench your thirst over the humpday and beyond.

National Tequila Day Celebration at Copita
Where: Copita, 739 Bridgeway (at Anchor), Sausalito, 331-7400
When: Tuesday, July 24
The rundown: At Joanne Weir's new Mexican restaurant and tequila bar, the celebration is happening with tequila flights. Six dollars get you a taste of three Herradura tequilas including the blanco, reposado, and añejo for the great way to celebrate the day. If straight tequila isn't your thing, belly up to the bar for one of their house margaritas.

Mezcalistas Pop-up Mezcaleria
Where: The Bold Italic, 34 Page (at Franklin)
When: Wednesday, July 25, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Cost: $60, tickets available online
The rundown: Mezcal, tequila's rustic cousin, is making serious headway into bars, and for good reason. Gone is the "worm at the bottom of the bottle" rotgut as the only choice, and now craft spirits from small villages are becoming more filling bar shelves. Learn more about the spirit, its production, and a tasting of mezcals by the Mezcalistas bloggers. Included with entry are tacos from Tamarindo restaurant's El TacoBike, and cocktails. Included in the tastings are Alipus (this will be its U.S. premiere), Pierde Almas, Del Maguey, Metl (espadin and madrecuishe -- not currently available in the Bay Area), and Wahaka.

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basykes

This field in Petaluma is outstanding in its field.

Outstanding in the Field isn't your ordinary pop-up restaurant. For starters, there's no restaurant. Diners have the pleasure of dining al fresco at absurdly long, white linen-draped tables on local farms, gardens and ranches. The setting goes a long way in driving home the organization's mission -- to re-connect diners to the land while honoring local farmers and artisan food purveyors. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to sit back and receive the bounty of the land. And, in the case of the next Bay Area dining experience, to soak up some suds.

In a few short weeks, the Outstanding crew brings a beer dinner to Sonoma County. Attendees will dine on the scenic farmland of Little Organic Farm in Petaluma. Many of the produce elements of the meal, including the farm's famous potatoes, have been grown mere inches from the dinner table (locavores - it doesn't get more local than this). Fresh from his gig cooking the world's largest beer dinner at the World Beer Cup awards gala, Chef Adam Dulye of Monk's Kettle will be preparing the beer-soaked feast. Dulye plans to highlight local vendors such as Liberty Duck Farms, Tomales Bay oysters, and local fish from Monterey Fish. Because the dinner falls on the summer solstice, Dulye will pull seasonally-appropriate vegetables like favas, corn, and fresh shelling beans from other local farms.

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As we mentioned some time ago, Rachael Ray spent some time in the Bay Area putting together a show for her latest series, Rachael's Vacation, which aired last week and will run again February 6 at 11 p.m., February 7 at 2:30 a.m., and February 15 at 2:30 p.m. on the Food Network. More »